The nonpartisan leader. [volume], August 16, 1917, Image 11

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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BY PUBLIC OWNERSHIP LEAGUE
NEWS SERVICE, CHICAGO.
TJR transportation system has
broken down. Our basic in
dustries are paralyzed, be
cause of the wide-spread
abuse and manipulation of the
coal and transpartation industries by
Irresponsible private owners for specu
lative purposes—a most serious situ
ation at this critical time fraught with
peril and possible tragedy to the na
tion.
And the only way out is for the gov
ernment to at once take over the rail
roads and the mines and operate them
in the interests of all the people.-
These are the calm and well consid
ered conclusions of the Federal Trade
commission, set forth in their letter of
transmittal under date of June 20, and
Its report on the coal situation made
to the United States senate and house
of representatives.
"The Commission believes," says the
letter, "that the coal industry is para
lyzed by the failure_jof transportation."
The Commission has investigated the
•whole situation very carefully and •_
finds that the present production of
bituminous coal is only 40 per cent of
the maximum and that this restricted
production is paralyzing every line of
production and that we are confronted
by a serious situation throughout the
country by reason of this "intolerable
hardship laid upon industry and trans
ferred in large part to the public in in
creased prices, and the further hard-.
ship which will fall upon the domestio
consumers next winter."
MAKES HIGH PRICES
IN ALL INDUSTRIES
•.
Moreover, according to this report,
the abnormally high prices are due..
largely to the extortionate rates charg
ed for coal. "Since coal enters into.
practically every manufactured prod
uct," the letter of transmittal says,
"these abnormal prices serve to fix a
false basis for the price structure in
J* every industry. The high prices and
uncertainty as to coal supply are em
bodied in the uncertainty and prices of
substantially everything and are a
prime cause for the inflation which is
raidly growing into a national menace.
"The increased fuel cost in second
ary manufacturing processes and in
commerce can be and is passed on to
the consuming public fn the form of
higher prices. Already applications are
being made to municipalities and state
utility commissions asking for increas
ed rates- and fares. The railroads
themselves- are basing-their arguments
for a l5 per cent increase freight
rates in large part upon the increased
cost of their fuel, and," the commission
observes, "any, increase if granted will
be passed on to the public."
Moreover the commission sees clear
ly what is behind this manipulation of
the coal prices. It is not a situation
due to any legitimate causes but to
human greed pure and simple, using
the opportunity afforded by the private
ownership of these basic industries.
The commission uses such words as
those in. describing the methods of the
coal companies:
"Abi^se in the use of coal cars by
speculators^ for the storage of coal'for
speculative purposes." ."market
manipulation," "unnecessarily cur
tailed production and a wildly fluctuat
lng- market in which speculation feeds
on pfuiic,?.., ..-'jfi
OTH^ft WARRING NATIONS "IS"
USE GOVERNMENT CONTROL
I&'jr US
And wbat is the remedy?
Public ownership.
"Our predecessors in this world war,"
•ays the letter, "hove had to solve the
fuel problem which lies at the base of
every military and industrial activity.
They have tried various experiments
and their failures and successes may
•well guide us in our search for a solu
tion. In England the government took
complete control of the coal mines favorable impression on
after less radical methods of regulation ence.
failed. The French government has
divided France into three coal zones in
order to equalize distribution, and the
government becomes the sole vendor.
On May 2, 1917, the Russian provision
al government took over all the coal
mines of that country with a view to
control coal distribution and prices.
Soon after the outbreak of the war
Germany took measures to still further
centralize and control the whole coal
Industry of the empire under govern
ment administration. The Italian gov-
ernment imports all the coal brought
into the country and acts as a clearing
house for its distribution."
"Our allies and Germany all require
the" railroads not already government
owned to be operated as a unit and on
A Chance for a Great Step
Time is Ripe for Government to Take Over All the Railroads of the
United States—War Has Shown the Necessity
When the Tide Comes in
(Editorial in Thief River Falls (Minn.)
News-Press
Residents of Thief River Falls and
Pennington county who attended the:
Nonpartisan league picnic last Thurs
day expecting to hear outbursts
against the government, tirades
against the business men and attacks
on the merchants, 'were disappointed.
They had been led to expect such at
tacks by the mass of statements rol
led up in the l&rger papers of North
^Dakota and the Twin City publica
tions. We do not know whether the
local meeting was typical but, if so,
the representations have been wholly
unwarranted. The speeches made
last Thursday savored of politics, it
is true, but the principles indorsed
were solid, and the main speaker,
Governor Frazier, made an especially
his audi-
There was but little in any of the
talks that the most patriotic citizen
could take offense at and there was
much to be indorsed by the residents
of any farming community.
There can be no dispute over the
contention of the organizers of the
League that the present marketing
conditions must be improved. The
farmers are not, under the present
system, allowed the privilege, extend
ed to all other producers, of fixing the
price of their products on the basis of
vv Art?
mm
government account, and the allies
have officially stated that one reason
for being certain of victory was that
transportation had been reorganized
and perfected."
No Disloyalty in It
PAGE ELEVEN
Therefore, arguing from the experi-
the cost of production, but are com
pelled to accept what is offered in
face of decidedly unfair competition.
This in turn affects the consumers
and, if a system can be worked out
that will allow the producer to deal
more directly with the consumer,
much good will be accomplished.
Personally we must admit that this
was the first opportunity we had to
hear the League principles advocated
and explained. We had gained the
impression from the Grand Forks Her
ald and other radical newspapers that
the organizers were anarchists, cut
throats and thieves and had been pre
pared for the worst. Instead the dis-'
cussion was conducted along gener
ally approved lines, the truth of a
majority of the assertions was unde
niable.
Particularly pleasing was the sen
timent expressed by the last speaker
regarding the co-operation that should
exist between the farmer and the mer
chant, and his remarks dispelled at
once the theory that had been ad
vanced that the League, once estab
lished, would fight the business men
of the cities and towns.
The League is aparently after bet
ter marketing conditions and if its
efforts are steadily directed towards
that end, without undue deviation,
much good will undoubtedly be ac
complished. .j..-- ..
ence of all these nations, the commis
sion urges that:
(1) The production and distribu
tion of coal and coke should be con
ducted through a pool in the hands
of a government agency.
(2) The transportation agencies,
of the United States both rail and
water should be similarly pooled
and operated on public account.
Here is then what the government at
Washington is facing and what is of-'
ficially reported to it by its own com
missions:
Rampant human greed ruthlessly ex
ploiting the nation and paralyzing its
industries.
This greed using the private owner
ship of our basic industries, coal and
transportation as the means by which
it is accomplishing the plunder of the
people, the paralyzing of the industrial
life and at the same time jeopardizing
the very existence of the nation—tak
ing advantage of the hour of its sorest
need to inflict their deadliest exploita
tion.
MUST URGE CONGRESS
TO ACT AT ONCE
And the remedy—immediate publio
ownership.
The commission is urging the gov
ernment to act. Many members of
congress are ready to act.
Now let tlje people be heard.
We ought to have a referendum at
such a time upon such a question so
that every one could be heard. But we
do not have that right. Therefore all
we can do is to petition, to write to our
congressmen, to get our organizations
to memorialize congress and to make
use of the press and public platform.
The Public Ownership league of
America urges upon all organizations
everywhere to take every possible ac
tion to support the measure now being
urged by the federal commission and
others to bring about the" immediate
public ownership and operation of all
railways and mines.
ABLAZE FOR THE LEAGUE
Perham, Minn., Aug. 5, 1917.
Editor Nonpartisan Leader:
The greatest political gathering ever
held in Ottertail county, if not in wes
tern Minnesota, took place on August
5 at the Vandeventer Park at Little
Pine lake, near Perham. The occasion
was a Nonpartisan league picnic at
which Ernest Meitzen of St. Paul, na
tional speaker for the Nonpartisan
league, made the principal speech in
English/-
Mr. Meitzen is a powerful, logical
speaker, who held the great crowd
spellbound from the first, to last. He
was folowed by a short but enjoyable
talk in German' by the editor of the
German section of the Nonpartisan
leader, E. O. Meitzen, father of the
previous speaker.
Many members were enrolled and
many will be enrolled as a result of
this meeting, and many friends for the
League were made among all classes
present.
Nine hundred automobiles and 150
other vehicles were counted by the
park management, indicating the num
ber of persons present. The total at
tendance was not less than S000. Many
came as far as 25 or 50 miles. All
this part of Minnesota is ablaze with
enthusiasm for the Nonpartisan league,
aa a result.
Credit for the success of the picnic
goes to E L. Manger, organizer for
Ottertail county, to the Lake Park
brass band, and to the management
of the "Vandeventer resort, which is
one of the most beautiful and hospit
able spots in Minnesota.
JOHN A. WEBER.
FOR DEMOCRACY
Mr. Baer's victory was the most
significant of all as it indicates that
the people, especially the farmers and
working classes, are taking matters in
their own hands. The people of North
Dakota believe in real democracy, "a
government of the people, by the peo
ple, and for the people."
It will be observed that Mr. Baer
speaks for democracy everywhere. He
does not like autocracy in London
any better than at Berlin. He recog
nizes that our own country holds a
class of men who are just as danger
ous to true democracy as the imper
ialists of the monarchies of Europe.
He -ought to make a very useful mem
ber of congress.—SHEBOYGAN (Wis.)
HERALD.
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